


Does it almost feel like nothing's changed at all?

by whynotcherries



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Character Death Fix, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-10 00:56:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18649645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whynotcherries/pseuds/whynotcherries
Summary: They manage to bring back Neal, and he manages to get Emma to do something she hasn't done inyears.





	Does it almost feel like nothing's changed at all?

She used to go for walks every night. It was a way for her to unwind- to give herself just a little bit of alone time before locking herself back up in the car. Although Neal was good company, sometimes being with another person all the time was just a little bit too much.

Sometimes he’d join her, too, though. Those nights they’d walk down the sidewalks, sometimes quietly- if she didn’t talk, he wouldn’t either,- sometimes loudly, and they’d knock into each other on purpose and laugh about nothing in particular, and sometimes they’d do both- but most of the time, she was just by herself. 

The nightly walks ended when she got arrested. It didn’t feel quite right to go without anybody waiting for her to get back, or without anybody to come along. Part of it didn’t even feel safe, having nobody know where she was going or if she’d be coming back; having nobody that cared.

Then, one night, after she’d been through curses and deaths and all of the above, Gold finds a way to bring Neal back from the dead. When he’d first come back from Manhattan, it would’ve been bittersweet, but now, all of those conflicted feelings have _flown_. She’s ready now.

She goes with him to the graveyard and they work a real-life _miracle_ with their entire family watching. It’s not completely dark yet, but it feels like this should be happening when it’s dark. The moon should be the only thing that’s bright- but the sun’s still up. 

She mentions it- Gold shrugs her off, “This is what the spell says, dearie. I don’t make the rules,” and she just brushes it off. 

If the spell says ‘at dawn’, the spell says ‘at dawn’.

They complete the spell, and within an instant _(less than an instant)_ , it’s worked. It’s done and he’s there in front of them. Henry’s thrown himself at him and she feels like she might be imposing by even being there, even if she’s trying to look away _(she’s not looking away.)_

They’re not talking, they’re just fumbling about, trying to hold on tighter for as long as they can possibly stand it- nobody’s about to interrupt, of course. They’ve been separated for _far_ too long. Even a day would’ve been far too long- this is a _lifetime_ too long.

Once they’ve taken it in, realized that they’re back together, that _nothing and nobody_ can separate them ever again, Neal looks up. They’re still kind of hugging- only kind of, not really- but the second that he meets her eyes, he’s a little less inclined to hang onto Henry; he’s too motivated to _get to her_. 

She can see it in his eyes before he rushes over to her and pulls her against him so hard that she’s not convinced that her heart can still function. She doesn’t know what to say- what do you say to an ex-dead man, anyway?- and neither does he, apparently, because he’s quiet, too, besides the heavy breathing.

He takes longer to let go of her; or, it _feels_ like he takes longer to let go of her. She’s hoping and praying that he doesn’t disappear when he does; he is, too, and he doesn’t completely let go of her (besides to greet everybody else) for the entire walk back to Granny’s.

Dinner goes by smoothly- Neal’s beside Emma and across from Henry and he doesn’t move his arm from around her until food comes. The whole family sits and talks until closing when they’re told that they have to leave. _(“Granny says, ‘Eight o’clock, sharp’. I would let you stay, but it’s closing right now.”)._

They walk back to the loft as a family- even those who don’t live there come back ‘for ice cream’.

Once they’re all gone, Neal turns to face Emma at the table- he’s given up on the constant physical reassurance, but is still adamant that they’re _together._

He puts his hand on hers, taking a deep, calming breath, before- “Wanna go for a walk?” 

It almost takes her a minute to let it click in her brain that _oh, that’s not a new thing._ She doesn’t have the heart to tell him that she hasn’t stuck to that routine since before all of that happened- it doesn’t even matter though, because _yeah, she wants to._

She just nods. 

He smiles and he pushes his seat back, standing and walking around her, grabbing her hand. There’s some explaining to be done, but before she knows it, they’re out the door. 

Right off the bat, it’s a loud-quiet walk. A quiet, nice, _happy_ conversation walk. 

“-So, there was an evil ice-cream truck operator?” 

“Well, no,” she’s laughing between her words now- really, she feels like she’s floating- “she was an ice witch- wait, not a witch! I think she was supposed to be a queen? I’m not… a hundred percent sure.”

He laughs- he knocks into her on purpose again, and _holy mother, that hasn’t happened in a lifetime,_ “I guess I missed a lot, huh?” it should be sad, really, but he’s _laughing._

She tries not to be sad- she tries so, so hard. “Yeah,” there’s a moment of silence and she can’t help but think, _‘now you’ve done it, Swan,’_ before she can’t keep her mouth shut any longer, “You know, you’re pretty happy for an ex-dead man.” 

The second she says it, she regrets it. Her chest fills with dread and _‘oh, now you’ve really, really done it, Swan.’_

But, he laughs. 

“Yeah, I guess I am,” she sighs, this time with relief, and he smiles this great, amazing smile at her, “I really am.”


End file.
